backronym

A "backronym" (or bacronym) is a phrase that is constructed "after the fact" from a previously existing initialism or acronym. The term is sometimes used to refer to the initialism or acronym itself but usually, it is a "replacement" backronym, the abbreviation already having an associated phrase. When the backronym phrase becomes more popular than the original, the word becomes an "anacronym."

Backronym is a portmanteau of backward and acronym coined in 1983. An example of a backronym from the word acronym is as follows: Acronyms Condense Representations Of Neologisms You Memorize

In the above example, because the word acronym itself is not an acronym, the phrase is a "pure" backronym (not a replacement backronym). Furthermore, since the phrase indirectly refers to the word itself, it is also apronymic. Also, because the word acronym itself appears in its backronym, the phrase is also a recursive-backronym. If this backronym helps you remember the word acronym or backronym, then it is also a mnemonic.

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